Watermelon and Arugula 4th of July Salad

As a child, 4^th of July was always my favorite holiday. We would spend the month of July in Del Mar with friends and from the house we stayed at you could see the spectacular firework show the fairgrounds would put on each year.

My parents had a friend named Jack who knew all kinds of important people and had all kinds of connections. He was the super cool uncle who would always play with us and had a wife with a voice like a Disney princess.

One year Jack told us kids his friend down at the fairgrounds needed some help choosing the colors for the fireworks. So all us kids lined up, and we each got a turn to talk into the phone and tell this friend the colors we wanted.

Jack would say, “Ok, next is Angela.” And he would hold the phone up to my ear and I would say, “I want a firework that’s pink, yellow and green!” And so on…

Later that night while we all gathered outside watching the firework show you could hear us kids shouting, “That was my firework! Mom, did you see it!”

And I felt so special.

This tradition went on for years and was something I always looked forward to.

Then came the infamous year where we all lined up, youngest to oldest. I was towards the back of the line. My friend Sklyer, who was one year older and the friend who always told me how the world really worked, motioned for me to follow her.

We went into another room and picked up the phone. Here’s what I heard, “At the tone the time will be….”

For me, the shock of finding out I didn’t really pick my firework colors was a million times worse than finding out about Santa Claus. A million times by far.

I’m at an age now where I am trying to create memorable traditions for my own kids. Something simple and something free that we do every year. Something they will look back on and think, yeah, that’s what 4^th of July meant for me as a kid growing up.

Who knows, maybe if I can find the right fairground “friend” I will carry on Jack’s genius tradition.

Happy 4^th of July friends!

 

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

 Ingredients

Watermelon (I used half of a big, heavy, delicious, summer watermelon.)

Arugula (4 oz of Organic baby arugula chopped…or, a big handful from the garden)

Sunflower Seeds 1/4 C

Feta 1/4 C

1 Lemon

Fresh Mint (about 10 leaves, chiffonade)

Direction

Cut up your watermelon into one inch cubes and put into a large salad bowl or onto a platter. Squeeze a lemon over the watermelon. Toss with arugula. Garnish with feta, mint, sunflower seeds and cracked black pepper. Don’t worry much measuring, no matter what, this salad will taste fabulous and oh so refreshing at a 4th of July party.